Rong Xuanhe’s footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
He drew a sharp breath, and his previous bewilderment, loss, melancholy, and suspicion instantly vanished without a trace. His mind was left with only a piercing shriek: “I was just feeling sentimental a moment ago, not trying to court death! If you want to die, could you please not drag me down with you!”
Please earnestly complete the task and fulfill your promise, oh.
“What promise?” Rong Xuanhe flipped the script and refused to acknowledge it. “Last time was last time, this time is this time. Can a single spiritual stone gift pack expect me to risk my life for you? Besides, you make it sound like my work attitude is terrible. Didn’t I finish the last task well? Weren’t I earnest?”
Last time was last time, this time is this time.
This broken system actually dared to talk back to him.
Rong Xuanhe said unpleasantly, “Then why don’t you mention that the last time, I had to coax you before you even issued the task?”
An unscrupulous system that endlessly shoved the prize pool in front of him without ever mentioning high risk and low return, tricking him into thinking a few words could win a grand prize, it was sheer fraud.
Then… shall the host go through the procedure and coax first?
Rong Xuanhe sneered, “You are really getting full of yourself, are you!”
Whenever this topic came up, his teeth itched with hatred. “You know how much suffering I went through last time. Anyway, if I don’t do it, there are plenty of others who will. I want to unbind! Do you hear me, I want to unbind! Or just kill me outright, so I don’t have to waste my breath anymore.”
Carrying a belly full of annoyance, the youth followed Chunsheng outward.
He was already in a bad mood, and the system had to pull this kind of stunt. Was it seeing that he was dedicated and easy to bully?
The few clothes he had were all bought by Su Wenchuan; he didn’t own any red garments at all. Moreover, he still had to rely on the man for meals. If he went out of his way to trigger him for the sake of a task right now, did he not want to live anymore?
The two of them passed through the flower corridor. Seeing that his complexion looked somewhat poor, Chunsheng assumed he was unhappy about someone disturbing them and comforted him, “Young Master, do not worry. Once the elders leave shortly, the Venerable Lord will surely come to see you.”
Rong Xuanhe was busy arguing with the system. After walking a few steps, it finally registered, and he pursued the matter: “Isn’t Cangyi Mountain independent of aristocratic clans?”
Could the information provided by the system have been wrong?
“That is the Venerable Lord’s maternal clan, which has nothing to do with Cangyi Mountain.”
The boy said, “The Venerable Lord left the clan long ago, and Cangyi Mountain has only one master. No one else has the right to make decisions.”
“I see.”
Rong Xuanhe responded casually, then suddenly felt a gaze spying on him from the dark.
Uncertainly, he turned his head back, but the corridor was empty and desolate, with nothing there.
Front Hall.
Two middle-aged men sat in the seats of honor. One was scholarly and refined, carrying a touch of a literati’s temperament, while the other possessed the natural, unshakeable authority of someone who had held high positions for years.
Su Wenchuan stepped into the room and greeted the two of them with indifferent casualness.
The literati-looking man put down his teacup and greeted him with a smile, “Why didn’t you inform the clan first when you came out of seclusion this time? Everyone has been missing you very much.”
His tone was quite polite. Su Wenchuan picked up his teacup and said flatly, “Trivial matters kept me busy, I forgot.”
The other man wore a cold and stern expression, letting out a heavy hum: “It must be that the people under your command are not diligent enough. They didn’t even report such matters; they need a proper reprimand.”
“Third Brother, do not speak like that.”
The Second Clan Elder waved his hand to stop him, then turned to Su Wenchuan with a pleasant expression: “Your timing for coming out of seclusion is perfect. The Demon Emperor sent an invitation for the Myriad Paths Dharma Assembly. After a hundred and fifty years, you surely have new insights as well. It would not hurt to go exchange pointers with other fellow Daoists and relax a bit. What do you think? By the way, have you received your invitation?”
Su Wenchuan pondered for a moment: “Chunsheng, go check the Listening Rain Study.”
The boy acknowledged the command, his figure flickering and dispersing before re-solidifying just a few breaths later, holding a gold-powder-painted invitation adorned with peonies.
He respectfully handed it to Su Wenchuan: “Venerable Lord.”
Su Wenchuan took it and casually glanced through it.
Right as he lowered his gaze, the two men opposite him exchanged a glance.
“Wenchuan,” the Third Clan Elder cleared his throat, changing the subject: “During these years of seclusion, have you thought things through? The clan has always been keeping an eye out for peers from other major clans on your behalf. If you have any intentions…”
Su Wenchuan handed the invitation back to the boy. Pausing as he held the teacup, he directly interrupted, “No possibility.”
The Third Clan Elder’s expression shifted slightly, but he maintained his patience, softening his tone a bit: “Haha, very well. If you have no temporary intentions, that is fine too. There are fragrant plants everywhere in the world, just do not hang yourself from a single tree.”
The words were spoken tactfully, but everyone present knew who that single tree was.
The hall fell silent for a brief moment.
With a clack, the teacup was set down on the table.
Su Wenchuan raised his eyes, the chill at the bottom of his gaze growing heavier: “What on earth do you want to say?”
His demeanor was rather cold, devoid of both the warmth of a long-awaited reunion and any humility toward clan elders.
The Third Clan Elder finally lost his composure, letting out a heavy, cold snort: “Since that is the case, I will speak plainly! We heard that the very first thing you did after coming out of seclusion was not to return to Zaiyun Palace, but rather to head to the Den of Iniquity?”
Su Wenchuan’s gaze narrowed, his voice sinking a fraction: “Continue.”
“I also heard that you brought back a courtesan!”
The Third Clan Elder’s face was full of disappointment at his failure to live up to expectations. “Wenchuan, you were never this lacking in self-respect before. How much longer are you going to persist in this obsession? That person is already gone!”
“Still making a fuss over a dead person who eloped with someone else after all these years, is that not enough? It is not as if the clan never gave you opportunities, and you ignored them. But now, seeing someone similar, you eagerly throw yourself at them, discarding even your clean reputation! You may not feel ashamed of yourself, but the clan still needs its dignity!”
These words sounded somewhat harsh, causing even the Second Clan Elder to frown, wave his hand, and say, “Third Brother, enough, say no more.”
“Heard?”
Su Wenchuan chewed on those two words and suddenly let out a cold laugh: “I never knew Cangyi Mountain had such a dedicated megaphone. I have been back for less than a day, and the news has already grown wings and flown to both of your ears? What does my clean reputation have to do with the clan?”
“The clan is only doing this for your own good.” The Second Clan Elder hurriedly mediated: “Think about it, before that Rong Lu, you never had any disagreements with the clan, did you? The clan elders have experienced far more than you. When it comes to romantic trials, those involved are lost while onlookers see clearly. You do not need to take offense; you will understand this good intention in the future.”
With that, he patted Su Wenchuan’s shoulder: “First apologize to your Third Clan Elder, and I will order the Third Clan Elder to apologize to you as well. Let this matter be written off, how about that?”
Su Wenchuan looked coldly at the two of them, ignoring the suggestion.
The atmosphere fell into a brief stalemate. Feeling that he had lost face, the Second Clan Elder picked up his teacup and took a sip.
Crack!
The teacup suddenly shattered.
Splintered ceramic shards flew across, grazing his skin and leaving a few thin streaks of blood.
The Second Clan Elder remained frozen in his posture of holding the teacup: “Wenchuan, what do you mean by this?”
Su Wenchuan’s gaze turned chillingly cold as he stood up and said, “Regarding my affairs, no one in the clan has the qualifications to interfere.”
He raised his voice: “Chunsheng, see them out!”
The Third Clan Elder’s eyes widened, slamming his palm on the table in preparation to scold him. The Second Clan Elder yanked him back, put down his teacup, and sighed: “It seems we are destined not to see eye to eye today. Very well.”
He looked deeply at Su Wenchuan: “Wenchuan, the clan means you no harm. Think it over carefully; do not let yourself be led by the nose by those with ulterior motives. We will come to disturb you another day.”
The guests parted on bad terms.
As the two walked out of the front hall, the Third Clan Elder still wore a dark expression. After walking for a short distance, he suddenly made a sharp turn, appearing to head in a different direction.
The Second Clan Elder called out to him, “What are you doing?”
“I want to see for myself whether that person is truly like that damned Rong Lu!” The Third Clan Elder snorted coldly, cursing with hatred: “It was all because of Rong Lu that Wenchuan grew estranged from the clan. Now that Wenchuan has finally let go of his mental barrier and left seclusion, some troublemaker has shown up. I must teach them a lesson!”
Meanwhile, Rong Xuanhe was still arguing with the system.
“Unscrupulous system! No blood-sucking! Unbind me right now!”
Dear host, all tasks issued by this system are legal and compliant. If the host has any dissatisfaction with the work content, you may file a complaint with headquarters, oh.
Rong Xuanhe laughed in anger: “Then give me a complaint button instead of just talking! What is the use of talking? I can talk too!”
He cleared his throat, adopting an affected tone: “All complaints issued by this host are legal and compliant. If the system has any dissatisfaction with this host’s remarks, it may file a complaint with headquarters. Do not I sound just like you?”
Sound like it.
“…” Rong Xuanhe’s smiling face instantly collapsed. “Echoing bug!”
Then not like it.
“Weathercock!”
Having been cursed both forward and backward, the system fell silent for a moment. When it spoke again, it switched back to an enthusiastic customer service voice.
Hello dear! If you are relatively resistant to the work content, you may apply to the system for mandatory execution, oh.
“Who asked you?”
Rong Xuanhe slammed the table, raising his voice: “I will say it again! Issuing this kind of task without guaranteeing the host’s personal safety is murder!”
The system stopped talking.
Fearing the system might actually execute it by force, Rong Xuanhe got up to look for a lock, attempting to secure both the wardrobe and the clothing chest.
After bustling about for a while, he couldn’t find a lock, but instead discovered a somewhat hidden wardrobe standing in the shadows beside the step-bed. With him rushing in and out yesterday, he hadn’t noticed it at all.
He casually opened it to take a look, and froze the moment he did.
The cabinet was completely empty, save for a scarlet outer robe hanging right in the middle.
The edges of the garment had already yellowed slightly, with deep folds, looking like old items sealed away for who knew how many years.
Why would there be a red garment here?
And right when he needed it most.
Rong Xuanhe instantly felt his scalp tingle.
He took a deep breath as a chill crept up his spine. He wanted to close the cabinet door, but his outstretched hand seemed to have a will of its own, pulling that red garment out on its own accord.
The fabric was soft and smooth like water flowing through his fingers, ice-cold and bone-chilling, resembling a lingering ghost haunting this courtyard, full of eerie malice.
The young man stared at it.
Driven by a strange impulse, he draped the garment over himself, walked slowly over to the mirror, and began examining himself.
The red clothes made the person in the mirror’s skin appear even fairer, adding a splash of vibrant allure to his features. With his sharp chin, he looked like a single poppy flower blooming amidst a cage of green shade, gorgeous yet fragile.
Rong Xuanhe stared at himself in the mirror, feeling vaguely that this face was somewhat unfamiliar, yet carried an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
It felt as though he had worn a garment like this somewhere before.
An abrupt, startled gasp sounded from behind.
“Rong Lu!”
Rong Xuanhe turned his head a beat too late, locking eyes with two pairs of extremely shocked eyes.
Two unfamiliar men stood outside the door, staring fixedly at him. The expressions on their faces morphed from shock into sheer disbelief, as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight.
“You…” The man on the right pointed at him with a trembling hand. “Rong Lu! Is it really you? You are not dead!”
This accusation immediately pulled the youth back to reality.
Startled by this setup, he asked blankly, “What?”
Whether it was this response that angered the man or something else, anger flared up on the man’s face: “Very well! No wonder Wenchuan acted that way! So, it turns out you, this bane, have come back!”
He took a large stride into the room, walking toward Rong Xuanhe. Feeling it was all inexplicable, Rong Xuanhe retreated a few steps in fright, wanting to ask who they were.
At the critical moment, an angry shout suddenly came from outside the door.
“Who allowed you to come here!”
The expressions of those two men shifted, and Rong Xuanhe’s face instantly turned as pale as paper.
It is over.
It is Su Wenchuan.
Why did it have to be right now?!